Means for making comparison tablets for optical examination of flour



P. BIERDEL March 26, 1935.

MEANS FOR MAKING COMPARISON TABLETS FOR OPTIOAL EXAMINATION OF FLOUR Filed May 3, 1933 Patented Mar. 26, 1935 I UNITED-STATES.

MEANS FOR MAKING COMPARISON TAB LETS FOR FLOUR TICAL EXAMINATION OF Paul Bierdel, Bucharest, Rumania Application May 3, 1939, Serial In Germany March 28, 1933 2 Claims. (01. 73165) The present invention relates to means for 7 making comparison tablets for use in the known optical method of examining flour inventedby Pekar. quantities of the flour or flours to be examined and a standardfiour arespread out upon a suitable support, for instance, a wooden table by means of a suitable tool, for instance, a spatula, side by side, preferably soas to form tablets of equal area. The surfaces of these tablets are then smoothed and the support together with the tablets is immersed in water, in order to moisten the tablets and render the colour of the flour clear for examination purposes. The samples are then compared with the standard flour with a view to determining their qualities by the colour test.

Hitherto the comparison tablets of the flour brands to be examined and the standard flour had to be placed upon a support and brought into the shape of tablets and smoothed. This manipulation requires fairly considerable skill and care on the part of the operator and consequently only very reliable and skilled workmen are employed for preparing the tablets.

The object of the-present invention is to provide a device for making these comparison tablets or discs, which can be used by quite unskilled persons. By means of this device the required comparison tablets or discs are made quite mechanically under the same conditions and they are therefore quite uniform as regards shape'and density. Moreover, the manufacture is much quicker, simpler and consequently more economical, whereby the examination is greatly facilitated and cheapened.

One object of the invention is to provide an open mould adapted to be charged with flour, and means for rapidly removing the flour charged into the mould, for instance by the withdrawal of a separate outer mould frame or by pushing the mould bottom outwards.

In a preferred construction according to the invention the mould consists of an outer casing or mould frame and a movable mould bottom which are normally maintained by a spring in such a position as to-prevent the mould from being charged with flour. The two mould parts, that is the frame and the movable bottom, may be moved from this position manually into a position in which the mould is capable of receiving the charge of flour, and means are provided for automatically retaining the two mould parts in this position against the action of the spring referred to. After the mould has been charged According to this known method equal with flour'and if necessary'the-fiour compressed. within the mould, the means for locking the two mould parts in the flour receiving position are released by hand andthe bottom-is pushed out of the mould by the aforesaid springmeans,

whereby the flour charge is withdrawn. In a preferred co'n'stru'ctionthe outer frame of the mould is made in theshape of a cap and is guided upon a vertically ex'tending stem to "the lower end of which the movable mould bottom is fixed,

the spring for holding the mould in the closed position being mounted withinth'e frame. The stem carrying the movable mould bottom is mounted in a casing which contains the means for locking the mould in the receiving position V and is provided with a knob for facilitating the manipulation of compressing the charge and positioning the mould upon the support serving for the reception of the tablets.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example one construction embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the complete apparatus, Fig. 2 an end view thereof, 7

' Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations taken in the middle plane of the apparatus and showing the mould parts in two difierent positions.

1 indicates an outer casing, 2 is a movable mould bottom and 3 a cap-shaped outer mould frame;

The mould frame 3 is placed in the form of a cap over the bottom 2, the latter being fixed to the lower end of a stem 4 guided in a tubular portion 5 of the casing. The stem 4 carries outside the casing 1 a nut screw 6 by means of whichit may be adjusted and fixed in the adjusted position.

The mould frame 3 isslidable upon the stem 4, the upward movement being limited by the lower end of the tubular portion 5 acting as a stop. A helical spring '7 tends to move the bottom 2 and the frame 3 apart and hold them in the position 40 shown in Fig. 3, in which the mould is entirely closed. It will be understood that in this position the outer-face 8 of the bottom 2 must be either flush with the edge 9 of the frame or project outwardly beyond the edge. lever pivotally mounted at 11 in the casing 1 and located by a spring 15. The lower end of the lever arm 14 is adapted to act as a locking catch for holding the mould frame 3 in the position shown in Fig. 4. The mould frame 3 may be brought from the position shown in Fig. 3' to that shown in Fig. 4 by gripping same with the fingers and pushing it outwards-against the action of the spring '7, theouter end of the lever arm 12 projects through a slot 16 from the casing so that it 12, 14 is a double-armed may be externally operated. 13 is a central tubular extension of the mould frame 3 which cooperates with the arm 14 and has a recess containing part of the spring 7. It will be understood that the arm 12 is very conveniently placed for manipulation being close to the nut 6 which serves as a manipulating knob.

The operation is as follows: a p

In order to make a test tablet, suitable quantities of the flour to be examined and also of the standard flour are heaped upon a wooden table. The apparatus is brought into the position shown in Fig. 4, in which the bottom 2- is within the mould. The apparatus is now firmly pressed into a flour heap for the purpose of filling the mould space 10 with flour. The device is now placed upon a wooden board so as to compress slightly the charge into the mould space 10; and any flour adhering to the sides of the casing is removed by moving the apparatus to-and-fro upon the wooden support until the lower edge of the casing 1" touches the support at all points. The apparatus is now removed from the wooden support and placed upon another support. The projecting end of the lever arm ,12 is now somoved as to releasethe mould frame 3, whereupon the frame is moved inwards by the spring, 7 and the flour tablet formed in the space 1.0 is released. On liftingthe apparatusthe tablet remains upon the support. 'Other tablets made from the same or other flours or from standard'fiour are then made in a similar manner and placed upon the same support. The support is then immersed in water. and the samples are tested and examined opti- 3'52 cally in the usual manner;

. I claim:

1. An apparatus for makingfexamination tab:

lets for the optical examination of flour, comprising in combination: an outer casing having a central tubular portion; a stationary mould bottom fixed to the lower end of a stem, said stem being mounted in said tubular casing portion; a capshaped outer mould frame slidably mounted upon said stem; a helical spring interposed between said mouldbottom and said cap-shaped outer frame; a spring catch mounted within the said casing and adapted to cooperate with said outer frame to hold same in the charge receiving position against the action of said spring members, said spring catch being operable from the outside, substantially as described.

2. An, apparatus for making examination tablets for the optical examination of flour, comprising in combination: an outer casing having a central tubular portion; a stationary mould bottom having an upwardly extending stem mounted in said tubular portion, said stem having an outwardly extending threaded portion; a nut upon said threaded portion for adjusting and holding said stem in said tubular portion; an outer capshaped mould frame adapted to slide upon said stem; spring means within said outer frame tending to movesaid outer frame upwards and into contact with the lower end of said tubular casing portiomsaid spring means being interposed between said outer frame and said mould bottom; and a double-armed pivoted spring catch within said casing adapted to hold the movable mould frame inits charge receiving position, said spring catchv having an outwardly projecting arm arranged close to the nut holding the stem within the casing, substantially as described.

PAUL BIERDEL. 

